4. Oliver
4
OLIVER
H ailey gives me an over-the-top stern look that I notice out of the corner of my eye. We’ve been driving for an hour, and early morning kept us not so talkative until we managed to get a coffee for the road. Now she’s full-on energy.
And trying to feed me a muffin.
“Come on, Oliver. As our driver, you need to be focused and fueled.” She continues her quest to stuff the baked good into my mouth.
“You were not joking about your snack box.”
We’re lucky that all the traffic is heading the opposite direction and the interstate is quiet. This should be an easy drive until our next stop.
“I would offer you something else, but this muffin has fiber and vitamins. It’s banana bran, after all.” She smiles mischievously and attempts to feed the muffin to me by bringing it closer to my mouth.
Like a shark, I take one snappy bite to appease her, nearly biting her fingers in the process.
“Yay, you listen.”
Only to you.
The way she feeds me a few more bites would look ridiculous to most, but it works for us. Because obviously there is nothing wrong with your buddy’s little sister feeding you a muffin in a tight space while you’re reminding yourself that the backseat is not an option.
Hailey shifts in her seat when the muffin is gone and pulls out a granola bar from her bag.
“What? I could have had a power bar and you made me eat a messy muffin?”
She throws me a sly grin. “It was more fun.” She reaches toward the dashboard to adjust the sound system, and when she’s satisfied with the music, she pulls out a map that crinkles open, along with a travel book.
“Doing a little studying there?” I ask her as I continue to focus on the road.
“I highlighted a few possible stops, and using my phone for everything isn’t good for my eyes.” She sounds very serious, and it’s adorable.
I can’t help but smile to myself. This road trip will be anything but boring.
She takes a sip from her coffee that we picked up at a gas station twenty minutes in and sets it back in the cup holder. “When was the last time you traveled somewhere like this and not on a fancy private plane for work?” she wonders aloud.
Thinking about it a few ticks, I search my memory. “Probably a while back when my brother and I did the whole upper Great Lakes.”
“That sounds cool. My most exciting trips lately are school field trips. Don’t get me wrong, it should be fun. It’s just, middle school kids are too busy whispering about who is into whom and the latest drama.”
I cringe. “You couldn’t pay me to go back to those times”
“I know, right? Yet I do it on a daily basis.”
“You observe them. There is a difference.”
Hailey shrugs.
“So, what is really stopping you from starting your whole preschool idea?”
She sputters a sound. “As you are aware, the owners have the ridiculous marriage clause. Plus, I doubt they would want to sell to someone on a teacher’s salary. Even with a private school salary. I’ll need money to invest in renovations and supplies. I don’t want to take a loan from Liam. The bank would give me the loan only if I have a higher income on file. I’m halfway there, just not enough.”
It disappoints me just as much as it does her, and it doesn’t surprise me that she would want to be self-sufficient and do it all on her own.
“And if there weren’t a clause and you had the money?”
“I guess, it would take a little while to really set up the place and find students. I mean, there are a group of moms who hang out at Foxy Rox for coffee sometimes and I heard them mention that they wish there was a preschool closer to Everhope. The one that was here never reopened after it was flooded a few years ago. Also, they would love if the preschool serves healthy snacks and maybe even teaches a few Spanish words so kids can become bilingual.”
Lines crease my forehead. “Do you even speak Spanish?”
“Barely. I would have a native speaker come in.” Watching as the faint joy on her face falls is heartbreaking. “Sorry, I’m talking your ear off for a silly idea.”
“It’s not silly.”
“Easy for you to say. You are exactly where you want to be.”
“Sure, job wise, house wise, fitness wise… apparently road-trip wise.” But life is missing someone to share it with. “The league headquarters in New York has been offering me a position on several occasions. Still, there are just a few more things in life that I could be satisfied with.”
Her head whips in my direction and her lips part. Yeah, because it’s us then that’s where her mind has just gone.
“Let’s just leave it at that.” I’m not going to deny that we probably just shared the same wavelength of thought, and we need to move on to something neutral, so I switch topics. “My brother wants me to get a dog,” I say while I overtake a truck.
“I love dogs,” she coos. “Actually, I would love a Labrador and to get him qualified as a therapy dog, then one day he could be with kids and listen while they read. It really calms them, especially kids who need a little extra help with reading.”
Everything warms inside of me, not because I want her but because of her kind heart. She’s selfless and wants only the best for people. “One day you’ll have all of that.”
She sinks back into her seat and sighs. “I would love it if my dog is one of those dogs that walk down the wedding aisle carrying the rings. He would have on a little bow tie.”
Right. Marriage, dogs, a future. Probably, shouldn’t let my mind wander, I need to focus up ahead anyhow.
“Hey, is your brother really going to run for mayor? The rumor is spreading like wildfire on the street.”
I want to rub my head due to exhaustion from the crazy scenario. “Well, he is the golden child, and I think he might actually really want to do it, but since we both enjoy defying our parents, then he might tell my parents no just to keep them on their toes.”
“Golden child? That’s what you think?”
I hiss a little whistle. “Oh, I know so. They are for sure proud of me and happy I’m a lawyer… but it’s the wrong kind of law. They would be a lot happier if I didn’t involve sports in the equation. I should settle down, too. Family dinner normally involves them mentioning so-and-so’s daughter. They probably have a whole book of options.”
“But your brother is solo. Well, divorced, so he once wasn’t, I guess. Rosie is cool, we hung out quite a bit and still stay in touch. She’s the kind of person you could pick up with right where you left off. A shame they didn’t work out, they’re good for one another.”
“She was younger and wanted to explore the world. Plus, we can’t always have what’s good for us.” You underneath me, for one.
“True.”
Hailey smiles. “Your mother is so sweet. Nancy always looks out of this world, no hair out of place. Insistent that I come over even though I never do.”
“She’s crazy about you.” It only adds more oil to the fire because the reasons that Hailey should be mine seem to mount.
“What’s not to like?” She splays her hands out, and I couldn’t agree more. “A shame your parents can’t be there for the wedding.”
That is also true. Despite the sentiments they make me feel sometimes, they are good people.
“Yeah, my dad has some engagement at his old grad school where he is speaking, and my mother is going with. She already picked out an overpriced toaster to send to Liam and Ava as a gift.”
Hailey shimmies in the seat to get comfortable, and she grows quiet while she begins to study her map and examines her book that already has a few post-its sticking out.
I’m still entertained every time I steal a glance at her book. “You randomly had this travel book lying around?”
“Actually, yeah. For years.”
Lines form on my forehead. “And you had time to bookmark?”
“I couldn’t sleep.”
“And yet you have this energy.”
I quickly glance to her as she throws me a wicked look. “That’s just me.” She winks at me.
The next three hours we go back and forth in conversation. At times, she rests a little bit and admires the cornfields. Other times, we make chit-chat.
I take a look at the clock and my arms feeling tired inform me that it’s time. “We should stop for a break. Stretch a bit,” I suggest.
Enthusiasm takes over her, and she is quick to grab her travel supplies and begin to search with her pointer finger. “Perfect. We’re on the Old Lincoln Highway, and there are so many fun little places to stop along the road. The signs say our next stop is ten miles from here, and there is a stop where they make buttermilk soap.”
“Sounds good.” I wish I could slap my brain because I just imagined lathering her up with the damn soap bar.
And next thing I know, we’re walking around a store with various knickknacks. Bottles of honey on one wall, woven blankets on another, a whole section of cornmeal in jars. This is all kinds of random but nobody walking outside seemed to be complaining about the slow-churned ice cream shakes with straws in their hands.
I continually tilt my head to examine items. Currently, the milk soap with a picture of a cow with a bell on it holds my attention. That is until I notice Hailey up ahead with a blissful radiant glow as she touches the wind chimes and the sound floats through the air.
Sauntering to her, I admire her peaceful state in the process.
“I love wind chimes. The wind reminds us of a shift of energy, good or bad. I like to think that it sweeps in luck,” she notes as we come face to face.
Why does she have to be so beautiful right now? Her eyes bright, her cheeks high due to her smile, and a loose lock of hair nearly brushing against her brow.
My finger darts out to touch her silky hair and tuck the loose lock behind her ear. It’s when she nuzzles her cheek into my palm that I realize what I did, but I’m not backing away. Partly because her gaze has chained me down with a hint of whimsy in her eyes. Neither one of us moves, and she’s right. There is a shift in the air, and it doesn’t scare me.
Am I stealing a moment to touch her? Is this my sign that I should say fuck it to any code of honor? Or am I making a mistake?
Her lips taunt me, but I’m in a pioneer store in the middle of who knows where with an old lady behind the cash register observes us.
All I offer Hailey is the barest of smiles, and she returns it with her own. One last caress of her cheek and my hand falls away. Clearing my throat as I step back, I focus on the chimes in front of us.
“Help me pick one,” I say.
“What do you mean?”
“I don’t have one at home and I should, according to you. Choose one for me.”
Suddenly, she’s a child in a candy store and her eyes swirl around the options. “Long or short? Where will it go?”
“Probably the back deck. Long and strong?”
She throws me a devilish grin. “Is that a question or a fact?” Her eyes bulge out, and she’s back at it with our banter.
“Funny. Maybe the wind will blow toward an answer for that,” I warn her as it sinks in that I have quite a drive ahead with her close to me, and my restraint is dissolving into history.
She enjoys that I give back as much as she throws at me. “Long and strong it is,” she rasps.
I roll my eyes at her humor.
Straightening her back, she studies the chimes and then spots the winning one.
“Here you are. Perfect.”
To me it is a simple wind chime with various extended silver bars hanging and a ball in the middle.
She’s satisfied with her choice, and her eyes return to the one that she was staring at earlier.
“You like that one?”
She hums a sound. “Yeah, I would for sure have a chime if I ever open a school. Also, the chimes using bamboo. There are many options, but this one has a little moon shape in the middle.”
“You should get it,” I insist.
She shakes her head, dismissing the idea. “I don’t want to jinx myself so that everything I want won’t come true one day.”
“Didn’t you say that it can carry luck?”
The corner of her mouth snatches up. “I know but…”
I jump right in. “Then I’ll buy it and keep it at my house until you have your preschool.”
She snickers. “You may be keeping it a while.”
I’m already unhooking the chime, refusing to let her say no. “I’m the driver today, so I’m making the decisions.”
Hailey crosses her arms and taps her foot. “Is that so?”
“Yep.” I turn my back and beeline it to the register where the jolly lady beams brightly and bounces her eyes between me and Hailey.
“Great choices. What a cute couple you are.”
“We’re not a…” We both say in unison, yet neither one of us manages to complete that sentence.
We realize and our eyes droop, but then I paste on a smile for the lady as I hand her my card.
A minute later, with a bag in hand, we find ourselves back at the car and standing in front of it, like two magnets trying to pull ourselves apart to venture back to our seats.
“Thank you,” Hailey mentions shyly.
I hold the key fob up. “You don’t need to thank me.”
Our moment lingers, and I’m not sure what she is thinking. I can’t appraise her for too long as she puffs in a breath and pivots on her foot back to her side of the car.
When we drive off, Hailey is quick to turn the music on, and we both seem occupied with our thoughts.
Only when we’re two miles further on the interstate does she pipe up. “Apparently, there is a storm that’s passing through around dinner time, we should probably find our stopping point and plan to stop around four for the night.”
“That’s a good idea. We’ll have driven eight hours today, our halfway mark is in good ol’ Nebraska,” I agree.
“Are you sure you don’t want me to drive a bit?”
“Nah, it’s okay. Just enter your highlighted destination address in the navigation.” Her face remains blank, and she seems slightly unimpressed. “Oh fine, use the map since we are going retro.” I smirk as I give in, and that causes the corners of her mouth to curve up.
“There is the world’s largest ball of stamps if you feel like venturing off track. Oh my God.” Now she’s flapping her hands like a penguin.
“Yes?” I glance at her, concerned yet bemused.
“Tomorrow, we so need to stop at the Big Foot museum in Hastings. Totally.”
My brows rise. “As in the fictional ape thingy?”
She swats my arm to tease me. “I don’t think he is an ape, I’m not sure. Maybe he isn’t fiction at all. There was a footprint, after all.”
“Was there?” I doubt her for fun but lose at keeping a straight face.
“We shall find out.” She gets comfortable again and rests her feet on the dashboard. “By the way, have you practiced your best man speech?”
I scoff a sound. “Absolutely not.”
She side-eyes me. “You’re going to wing it too?”
“You’re the groom’s sister, I’m confident you can’t wing it. It needs to be heartfelt.”
She waves me off. “I’ll wing it.” She sounds defiant and smirks to herself.
I attempt to keep my laugh under my breath when Hailey turns serious and pulls out a compass divider for her paper map, and after measuring the distance, informs me that we have an hour and a half more of driving before we settle for the night. Clouds have covered the sun, but there is no indication of rain. That changes when we’re about forty-five minutes from our destination; the gray clouds turn dark and the lightning strikes fiercely in the distance. Cars driving the opposite direction were clearly caught in the rain.
“I’m kind of thinking that we should stop earlier,” Hailey comments.
“You’re probably right.”
Her phone begins to vibrate, and I notice her brother’s name flash across the screen. To be honest, we’ve both ignored our phones today. Not on purpose, just we had no need to. Each other’s company has been a distraction, a positive one.
“Hey, Liam,” Hailey answers on speaker phone.
“How is the drive? You guys on schedule?” he asks her calmly. If she says anything that might freak him out, then he might go bananas. Wedding jitters and all.
Hailey looks to me then back to her phone. “All good. We’re about to stop for the night. It’s been a long day and the weather is about to turn.”
“Good. Storms can change quick there.”
“I’m sure we’re fine. Nothing looks unusual other than your car. Sorry about spilling a chocolate shake all over your cream interior.”
“What?” he barks out.
She chuckles to herself. “Take a joke, will ya? All is fine. Oliver is treating your car like a precious newborn baby.”
“As he should. Oliver, is she annoying the hell out of you yet? Try not to throttle her. We need her in the wedding party photos.”
“True. Sisters are sisters forever,” she comments. “Girlfriends of groomsmen you might need to erase out of photos in a few years.”
I bark a laugh. She has a point. We’ll both be in the photo but not as a couple. It’s safe. We get to share photographic space without any repercussions in the future. Just Hailey and Oliver. Groom’s sister and the best man. Nothing more.
Fuck me, I hope this hotel has a good cold beer.
“Yeah, Liam, she’s fine. I’m keeping her under control. I debated tying her to the roof about fifty miles back but refrained. I have a reputation in law to maintain.”
“I’m happy it seems to be an okay trip, and also, it works out well since you will both get here on time despite canceled flights.” I can hear by his voice that he is smiling.
“We’ll see you soon.” Hailey ends the call with a fond, caring look. She adores her brother, and he adores her.
Nobody would want to get in the middle of that.
She points to the upcoming exit. “We should probably pull off. Maybe there is a hotel there or at least a place for early dinner to sit out the storm.”
“Yeah, that sounds good.”
Pulling off the highway, we drive a mile until we enter a small town in the middle of nowhere. Other than a pickup truck turning up ahead and a diner with only a few full tables that we can see through the window, this town is kind of empty.
“This is fun. Totally unplanned, slightly concerning, but ooh, there is a bed-and-breakfast up there that actually looks really cute and normal,” she observes.
Peeking over the steering wheel, I look through the windshield to examine the Victorian house on the corner with a painted sign on the lawn, surrounded by potted plants.
The place appears decent. Not a motel, instead it’s quaint.
Hailey claps her hands together. “Perfect.” She reads the sign. “The Wagon House.” Hailey flips pages in her book until she reads over a section. “This place is actually in the guidebook. It’s fine. We won’t get locked in the basement by a serial killer.”
I look at her strangely before I slow the car and park out front with the rain beginning to pick up. “Riveting,” I say dryly.
She unbuckles her seatbelt. “Seriously, this place has good reviews and is ideal for travelers without kids. There are even nightcaps and biscuits for breakfast. Hopefully they have two rooms.”
“The town doesn’t look busy.”
So this option sounds pretty solid to me. Plus, I’m tired too.
Turning the engine off, we both hop out of the car and walk up the stairs of the wraparound porch that has rocking chairs and a bench swing.
Before we even manage to open the perfectly painted door, a woman probably in her 60s greets us on the other side with a warm smiling face.
“Hello. May I help you two?”
Hailey smiles charmingly. “I know we didn’t make a reservation, but we decided to stop early due to the storm approaching. What are the chances you have two rooms?” She pretends to pray. “We’ve been driving since six from Illinois.”
The woman steps to the side and glances up at the sky. “You’ll want to stay off the roads. We’re on a tornado watch.”
“All the more reason we hope you’re our miracle today, ma’am.” I never say ma’am, nor hurt my cheeks from an overly measured smile, but here I am.
“I’m Patricia. Come inside.” She gives us a little space to walk through the door where the hallway has dark pine floors and a classic staircase.
“You can, of course, stay here. It’s busy. We have newlyweds, a couple driving home to California, and a professor conducting research nearby. The guests who were supposed to show up for the other room cancelled last minute. That room is now available, but I do only have the one room.”
My entire body tenses in a heartbeat.
One room.
“Oh,” Hailey says, but I can’t figure out if it’s a simple oh, excited oh, or a disappointed oh.
I swear my dick is stirring inside my pants at the mere prospect of being stuck in a bedroom with her.
“The next town is another five miles from here. I can call ahead for you if you really need two rooms.”
The sound of thunder startles Hailey as much as it does me, except I don’t think it’s the elements that have us on edge.
We both look at one another, debating, wondering, waiting for one of us to decide. I’m positive she is thinking the same as me, but I can’t be 100% sure.
Our eyes are in a battle of who will answer Patricia.
Then we both burst out with, “Okay.”
Our voices in unison seem to take her aback. I guess we both had a little vigor in our tones.
“Wonderful. I’ll get you the key and prepare a snack plate for you. I serve brandy at 9pm unless the do-not-disturb sign is on the door… of course.” She assesses both of us, then she turns on her heel and disappears down the hall.
“Are you fine with this?” I whisper to Hailey. Because this is a test of resilience.
“Yeah, why not? We’ve been in a car all day together.” Her voice seems uneven.
“You’re right.”
Patricia returns holding up a key. “Here you are. The sheets are fresh and the pillows fluffed.”
I accept the key. “Thank you. We’ll grab a few things from the car then head on upstairs.”
“Alrighty then. Snacks are on the way, and I will also let you know if we all need to move to the storm cellar. I think this one will just be a severe storm.”
“Thank you,” Hailey politely replies.
We both head to the car and quickly grab our overnight bags and leave the large suitcases in the trunk. Little balls of hail begin to fall, and we quickly jog up to the porch where the roof provides protection.
Hailey pauses and focuses on the wind chime hanging in the corner. The sound dings as the chimes swirl in a near violent rage. Yet, a subtle fondness sweeps across her face as she stares.
“Is this warning us?” I wonder, with my jaw slack.
Her eyes slide to look at me.
“The chime reminds us of the wind. You know, some Native American tribes in the plains would often call a tornado a devil wind. Some believe it is an angered spirit, while others believe that a strong storm is cleansing for a new beginning,” she explains whimsically.
Her stance is soft and innocent yet sinful and persuading. We take a moment before we head inside and upstairs.
We open the door to the room, and I’m beginning to understand what the wind is trying to tell us.
Because there is only one bed.